Burgruine Taggenbrunn

Burg Taggenbrunn stands on a hill above St. Georgen am Längsee in Carinthia. The ruins of the medieval fortress were built in the early 12th century on the site of an older Celtic-Roman settlement. After a long period of decay it has been restored and now houses a festival hall, a bistro and an art gallery. The surrounding vineyards cover about forty-five hectares. The fortress played a part in Salzburg’s political struggles in the 13th and 15th centuries. In 1258 it was destroyed, rebuilt, and later used as a residence for the Liechtenstein family. The present buildings date mainly from the late 15th century, when Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach expanded the site. A stone granary and the steward’s house survive almost unchanged, their original roofs still in place. Visitors walk through the restored courtyard to the festival hall where classical concerts and jazz evenings are held. Inside the keep an exhibition of clocks shares space with a small bistro. Outside, the vineyards stretch across the hillside, and an art show by André Heller uses animation to explore climate change. The hilltop offers wide views over the surrounding lakes and woods.